​By the time the Red River Rivalry rolled around, I had not seen my family for over a year. Raised in Oklahoma, I had married a Texan, and even though the states are neighbors, separated only by the Red River, the drive was very long, and I was young, working and raising children.So the trip to Dallas for the game made me ecstatic. As we drove into some motel on the outskirts of Dallas, often the first person I would see was my sister, and we would take a break from working and child rearing just to enjoy being together again.Want more Viewpoints? Sign up for the Public Square newsletterI am the only person in my family who did not graduate from the University of Oklahoma. I had chosen a different Oklahoma university — probably in defiance. But my father, brother and sister were all Sooners, through and through. Later, my daughter would become a University of Texas graduate, escalating the fun.You see, for me, this game is about family. My little family would meet my father at an upscale French restaurant on Friday evening. My children don’t remember the food, but they do remember the happy conversation of being with my dad and sister. (My brother would be with his buddies.)Next day, we found a parking place, walked to the fairgrounds, bought a hot dog and headed to the horse barn, where we met up with my dad and his brothers, one of whom would have driven from Wichita, Kansas. I have no idea what the horses were doing, but it was a good place to catch up with family I so rarely saw.So when I realize the Texas-OU game will be played this Saturday, memories flood. Happy memories. Who cares who wins?P.s. My brother, now 70, started attending this game when he was 12 years old, and he has never missed a year.Hook ‘em Horns! Boomer Sooner!— Nancy Oelklaus, Sooner born and Sooner bred and a Texas momThis article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU-Texas isn’t about football. For me, it’s about family | Letter